Speed boat



Nov. 26, 1929. w. E. WILLIS v 1,737,180

SPEED BOAT Filed Sept. 1, 1927 INVENTOR Wilfred E. Willis V BY ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 26, 1929 WILFRED E. WILLIS, OF TEANECK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 JAMES E. WALLS, 0F

' MIDDLE'IOWN, DELAWARE SPEED BOAT- The general object of the present invention is to improve the construction of boats adapted to be operated by motors of the socalled out-board type.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to construct a boat in such manner that it will ride substantially level, that is, horizontal from bow to stern even at comparatively high speeds.

Another object of the invention is to increase the speed of boats for a given power output of the propelling motor.

Another object of the invention is to construct a boat so that the operator can conveniently manipulate the various engine controls and steering device without taking his eyes ofi from his course, or turning his head away from the direction in which he is proceeding.

Another object of the invention is to construct a boat driven by an out-board type of motor which is capable of making a good speed and in which the out-board motor is so arranged that it can be conveniently operated. Other objects of the invention will be clear from the following description and appended claims.

The invention will be understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example one embodi ment of the invention. For this purpose the invention will be described as applied to a stepped hydroplane boat. In these draw- 1ngs:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved boat shown partly broken away throughout approximately its rear half to better illustrate its construction;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the boat shown in Fig. lwith the propeller and motor removed; 7

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the boat shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4'is a rear elevation of the boat;

Fig. 5 is a front view with theout-board motor removed, and partly broken away to show the construction of the well within which the motor is mounted; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the use of the well as an expansion chamber for the exhaust gases.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the hydroplane boat 10, the side walls and bottom of which are preferably built of wood or wood and canvas and of a type of construction which isrelatively light for its strength, is provided with a pointed bow 11, and extending from the bow rearwardly on each side there are provided a pair of hydroplane members 12. Each of these hydroplane members is downwardly and rearwardly' inclined as may be seen in Fig. 1, and terminates at, or just in front of the step 13 which is located approximately amidships. 'Each extends outwardly to the side of the vessel from the keel 14. l

The bottom 15 of the boat at its stern section is slightly downwardly and rearwardly inclined from the step 13 to the stern 16 as indicated in Fig. 1. When thus made the bottom 15 forms a second hydroplane member of customary construction. The bottom 15 may be flat, as shown in the drawings, or it may be slightly concave or V-shaped.

At a point intermediate the stern 16 and the center of the boat, fore and aft, I pro vide a well 17, extending upwardly from the bottom 15, this well being located in the rear of thestep 13, but preferably relatively close to it. The upper portion 18 of the well is of relatively small dimensions, being made only large enough to permitthe propeller 19 and the lower end of the vertical propeller drivingshaft casing 20 of an out-board motor 21 to enter the well. The lower portion of thewell is enlarged at the side and rear,

as will presently appear.

The front wall 22 of the well extends upwardly at substantially right angles to the bottom 15 when viewed from the side and is suitably strengthened to provide a firm support for the clamps 23 by which the motor 21 is removably secured to the boat.

The upper portion 18 of the well is preferably of rectangular shape and bounded by substantially vertical walls. Below this por= tion 18, however, the sidewallsQ slope outwardly toward their respective sides'of the boat, and the rear walls slope downwardly with the bottom 15 of the boat.

and rearwardly intersecting the bottom of the boat somewhat in front of the stern 16. The rear walls of the well are made in a plurality of sections consisting of a central sec tion which is rectangular in shape and slopes gradually rearward from the bottom ofthe upper portion 18 to itsintersection Side sections 26 of triangular shape slope gradually from the corners 27 at each side of the bottom of the upper portion 18 both rearwardly and outwardly and intersectthe bottom 15 along the lines 28.

The power unit 29 of the out-board motor ing Wheel 31 whichis operably connected to 1 cause the rotation of the motor as just described by any suitable means (not shown). In this manner by swinging the propeller 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1, the direction of the boat may be reversed. A fin 32is rigidly secured to the keel 14 to aid in steering the boat.

When the boat is driven by the propeller 19 it rides smoothly over the surface of the water, and 'after reaching sufficiently high speed for the hydroplanes to come into action it is supported at substantially two points, namely by the hydroplanes 12 for a short distance in front of the step 13, and by the rear portion 15, and .the hydroplane surfaces formed by the sloping rear walls 25 and 26 of the well 17. The sloping of these rear walls 25 and 26 tends to prevent the presence oft-he well from retarding the. motion of the boat, and aids the operation of the boat. 1 The presence of these sloping rear walls causes the motion of the boat over the surface of the water to create a suction within the lower part 2 1 of the Well 17which causes a downward-current of air through the well.

This has several advantages. In the first place the air passes between the walls25 and 26 and the water in contact with them and then is delivered rearwardly and outwardly along the lines 28 to the surface of the bottom lfiof the rear section of the boat. ,In this way a greater portion of the surface of the rear of the boat is made to ride upon an air cushion than has heretofore been possible.

' r This reduces the friction'of the boat with the water, and enables the boat to be driven forward at a moderate speed with a smaller amount of power'than heretofore, and also 7 on which the boat is traveling. .wardly directed portion strikes therear surenables the boat to be driven at higher maximum speeds.

Another effect of reduction of friction by means of the air cushion is that of causing the boat to ride more nearly level, fore and aft, so that there is less tendency for the stern of the boat to settle and the bow to rise when the boat is traveling at high speed The exhaust from the motor 29 is delivered downwardly from a handler 33 ust above and a little in front of the front wall 22 of the well, and is drawn downwardly into the well "and underneath the boat by the suction action some distance above the level of the water This upfaces of the walls 25, 26 and 15, thereby exerting the lifting action on the stern. V

A housing or hood 3 1 is preferably built above the well 17 for the purpose of enclosing the motor 29. This may be built of light wood or sheet metal andis made with side walls35 extending fore and aft and permanently secured to the structure of the boat. The top 36 is hinged at 37 so that it can be swung upwardly, and a door 38 is placed at the rear and made to swing outwardly about hinges 39. The front of the housing or hood is closed by means of a screen 40 which extends above, the covering 41 which extends frein the bow back to the rear of housing 34, and serves to prevent splash from entering the boat. This covering l1 may be made of wood, but canvas may be used in light boats,

where is it desired to save weight.

1 The door 38 is provided with a lock 42 and the cover 36 has latches on the inside which firmly secure it to the left hand wall 35. The housing 34: serves as adequate protection for the motor against the weather,- and as a means of locking the motor against unauthorized use. 7 p a i The presence of hood3 1 "with its; screened front opening serves to collect air by the forward motion of the boat, and feeds it downwardly through the well 17. This action of'the hood 3 1 may be'used to aid the suction produced by. the sloping walls 25 and 26 in causingair. to flow downwardly through the Welland carrying away the ex haust' gases and provide the air cushion previ+ ously referred to.

When it is desired to obtain the maximum power from the motor, the muffler may be removed, and an exhaust pipe 44 connected to the cylinders so as to lead the exhaust gases downwardly into the well 17 (see Fig. 6). In this way the well 17 serves as a chamber wherein the exhaust gases are permitted to expand without being discharged directly to the atmosphere. The hood 34 serves as a covering for the well which-aids the well in sufficiently mutfiing the noise of the exhaust. The exhaust gases, as before, are drawn downwardly by the suction, and by the aid of the air entering the screen 40 and pass out with the air cushion beneath the bottom of the boat.

The frame which supports the power unit 29 and the vertical drive shaft casing 20 is equipped with a pivoted joint 43 arranged to permit these parts of the out-board motor 21 to swing in a vertical plane, and by providing the chamber formed by the sloping rear walls 25 and 26 of the well the lower end of the shaft casing 20 carrying the propeller 19 may be swung rearwardly about the pivoted joint 43 into this chamber. In this way the out-board motor 21 may be operated in the well 17 without restricting its ability to avoid or clear obstructions such as rocks, or stumps.

While the invention has been described in connection with a hydroplane boat that is capable of making speeds of from 15 to 30 or more miles per hour, it will be understood that the invention can be employed to advantage in boats intended for low and moderate speeds, such for example, as boats that are used as tenders for yachts. The invention may be embodied in ordinary flat-bottom boats, and also in boats having round bottoms. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is z 1. A boat having a well extending upwardly from the bottom of the boat, said well being open at the top and provided with means for mounting a motor having a substantially vertical propeller-driving shaft pivoted to swing fore and aft, the bottom of the boat being upwardly recessed at the rear of said well to form a longitudinally extending channel opening into said well to receive the lower end of said propeller-driving shaft when said shaft is rotated about its pivot.

, 9,. A boat having a well therein extending upwardly from the bottom of the boat, a propelling motor operatively mounted within said well, a hood cooperating with the top of said well and enclosing the motor, said hood having means for admitting air thereto, means for leading the exhaust gases into said well permitting said well to serve as an 7 expansion chamber therefor, the expanded gases mixed with air passing downwardly beneath the boat.

3. A boat having a bottom comprising a plurality of downwardly and rearwardly inr clined hydroplane members arranged longitudinally thereof and having a step forming air pocket joining one of said members with the member adjacent thereto, and a well 

